


In the jaws of the lion, a hyena laughs

by TheTwins



Series: Will you be my hero? [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Animal Traits, Happy Ending, Hero! Wooyoung, Hybrids, Hyena! Wooyoung, Light Angst, Lion! San, M/M, Minor Character Death, Misunderstandings, Prequel, Used to date, Vigilante! San, Violence, Woosan-Centric, Yeosang cameos, Yunho cameos, see rest of collection for the ATEEZ ensemble big fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:07:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28924803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTwins/pseuds/TheTwins
Summary: "Every fault is laid at the door of the hyena, but it does not steal a bale of cloth." -Nigerian ProverbIt’s been two years since Wooyoung became a superhero, two years since he’d fulfilled his life’s big dream, so he thinks he’s pretty satisfied. That is, until he gets his next mission and printed under big bold red “WANTED” letters is a face he hasn’t seen in two years. A hauntingly handsome face with the eyes of a lion. In other words, it’s been two years since Wooyoung became a superhero and San didn’t, leaving him with only a lonely path to walk on.
Relationships: Choi San & Jung Wooyoung, Choi San/Jung Wooyoung
Series: Will you be my hero? [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2121471
Kudos: 31





	1. Two paths crossed (at the shadow line)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be a prequel (along with another prequel with Seongjoong) to a bigger ATEEZ ensemble Superhero AU fic, so keep an eye out!
> 
> For background, in this world, everyone has a quirk, where they manifest abilities based on an animal when they turn 18. The extent to which abilities can be used vary from person to person randomly but the animal itself is affected by genetics or parents, for example, someone with a dog quirk could manifest through enhanced physical abilities to being able to grow fangs, claws, and ears on demand to being able to completely transform. Some abilities border on magic. Those with a greater extent of abilities are much more rare and tend to be recruited to be a hero in society.

Wooyoung knew this day was coming. He just didn’t expect it to be today, you know?

Just like how you know school only lasts so many years, but somehow time flies and it’s graduation and you’re wondering how it all happened so fast. Or maybe in a relationship, where you start seeing more and more red flags and you know it won’t last but suddenly the bed is lonelier and _they_ broke up with _you_?

Funny how that happens. But anyways, back to the story.

How’d he get here again?

* * * * *

Oh right, it was all normal a week ago.

_(It was a typical mission. At least as typical as they come._

_Wooyoung was sitting in the cramped backseat of the company car, busy trying to push the large elephant-type superhero off of him while also keeping an eye on the empty driveway illuminated by a single street lamp._

_“Dude, I know you haven’t slept in two days but now is really not the time,” Wooyoung groaned, eyes flickering around the nearby homes and yards in the dark. No movement. From beside him came a light snore._

_“What the fuck-” Before he even turned, tearing his eyes off the street, Wooyoung was already rolling his eyes. Just perfect. He poked the other hero hesitantly in the stomach -no response. The corners of his mouth curved up a bit._

_“Alrighty,” Wooyoung spoke to no one in particular, but he knew his earpiece was probably recording. “Confirming that my partner is out~”_

_He slapped the hero across the face, biting back giggles. Payback for the last night where the other literally stood him up on their fucking job. Those 8 hours of keeping watch were seriously boring and it was cold as shit in the car._

_“Still out~”_

_He raised his hand again expectantly, but froze in a split second. Out of the corner of his eye, there was just the slightest shift in the bushes besides the house._

_Not the wind. The target._

_“Going in alone,” Wooyoung whispered, hand retracting, sliding out of his seat and onto the street covered in shadow. Crouched low and slowly edging toward the right side of the building -oh right, that’s where the window was- Wooyoung searched for a figure. The reports said it was a woman that they’d be looking for, a snake-type with venom._

_Well, as long as it’s not night-vision, Wooyoung chuckled to himself silently, as he snuck closer._

_There she was._

_A figure outlined by the moonlight, right in front of the window like Wooyoung had predicted a day ago to his partner. Shoulders shaking with the effort to break the lock on it, struggling just as hard as his partner had been when insisting that two heroes weren’t enough to catch one measly villain who didn’t even pick real fights._

_Screw his partner. Wooyoung was fucking slick if he had any say on the matter, with his dark hair pushed back so he could see clearly -wasn’t he so smart- and his claws not yet out so none of the nearby lights could reflect off of them -again, so fucking smart. Someone promote him already._

_A click._

_A wooden creak and the slight shift in wind told Wooyoung that the woman had gotten the window open. Time to go._

_“Hands up please.”)_

* * * * *

And that brought him here, back at work on his way to the briefing room.

He snapped closed the file folder he was holding, the report on the snake-type villain written up and added just a few days ago. It was nice to see his own work -and to see the notice of probation on file for his partner.

He walked in smiling. “So what is it this week, boss?” He asked casually, still looking down with black bangs falling over his eyes, “Robbers to stop, kidnappers to find, or some new villain with a dangerous ability?”

Eden huffed, “Stop joking, damn hyena.”

“So it _is_ someone dangerous.” Wooyoung smiled lightly from the satisfaction of guessing correctly. Even if most people got a relatively harmless manifestation of their animal when they turned 18, like a dancer with abnormally good balance from their cat quirk or a photographer with eyesight like a bird, there were still some that became a threat to society. But that’s what heroes were for.

He separated the files in front of him into two stacks. The folder on the villain with a snake quirk, who had been poisoning her exes, went into closed cases. The folder on the group of villains with night vision and echolocation quirks, who were organized thieves, went into ongoing cases. And it looked like there’d be a new hunt starting soon. _Nice_ , he wanted a promotion. Wooyoung grinned, sharp canines flashing. “So who is it?”

“You’ve probably heard of him.” Eden turned on the projector screen.

“Oh?” Wooyoung looked up and his next question died on his tongue.

Two piercing golden eyes stared back at him from the sharply handsome face in the grainy photo. 

He had heard of this man. 

In fact, Wooyoung once dated him.

_(“Young-ah,” San whined, pulling Wooyoung’s hand up to his face. “Why are you so obsessed with that superhero agency? What if we get useless quirks like that frog guy?”_

_Wooyoung squished his boyfriend’s cheek. “Dumb dumb San,” he winked, “who says having a long tongue is useless?”_

_The other boy groaned, blushing, and Wooyoung laughed. “Anyways, both your parents are big cats and my dad was a superhero. We’re going to be superheroes, just trust me.”_

_“Ugh, fine.” San reached out to ruffle Wooyoung’s hair. Then he grinned slowly, an idea forming, “But if you become a superhero and I don’t, you better pay for our dates from now on!”)_

Those were the good old days. He smiled ruefully to himself as he sat there, the memories coming back to him. Other superheroes trickled in, one at a time, filling the room. There was the normal murmur of voices that Wooyoung had gotten used to. Someone sat down on the seat next to him, but Wooyoung’s eyes were still fixed on the screen, the old photo flickering in and out.

San hadn’t become a superhero. And Wooyoung hadn’t paid for a date after that one fateful day two years ago. Despite how much he wished it wouldn’t, the past had finally caught up to him. Funny how it happens.

“Ahem,” Eden cleared his throat as it seemed the rest of the heroes had arrived. “I’ll start by introducing today’s target.” He tapped the screen with a pointer. “This is Choi San, a lion type who I’m sure many of you have heard of. He has-”

_(“Claws, teeth, strength. Even the roar, too!” San was bouncing up and down in his seat at Wooyoung’s dining table, not even bothering to contain his excitement. “I tried it out in the woods the minute it turned midnight, and then I came to find you!”_

_Wooyoung told him off for coming in all sweaty and gross, but there was no bite to his words. San’s smile was wide and his eyes shining even in the dark, so happy and honestly, for good reason. Wooyoung was happy for him too, so much so that he could even forget for a brief moment the growing knot in his stomach as his own birthday neared.)_

He sighed at the memory. He remembered that day so vividly and yet it felt like so long ago. When they’d both been so happy with big dreams, and so close to them too.

By the time it was Wooyoung’s birthday, he’d felt his stomach drop for the first time in the face of his own quirk. Sure, claws, teeth, some strength, and a hyena’s sense of smell were great. But he knew it wasn’t enough to be a Class A hero like he’d dreamed.

But even then, San had slung an arm around his shoulder and stuck out his pinky, offering a smile and a promise that they could do it together. And he’d laughed, like duh, Wooyoung’s dream wasn’t something so weak.

“-No known partners. First came to the company’s attention two years ago-”

Wooyoung dragged his eyes away from the screen to the reports in front of him, forcing those piercing eyes out of his mind. The past was the past.

“-He’s been wanted for a long time due to his criminal activities, including taking down a police officer in a drug raid, murdering a politician, resisting arrest-”

 _A police officer who’d been a mole for the cartel and a politician who’d been money laundering for reasons that were never revealed_ , a voice in his head clarified, but he knew it didn’t matter in the end. _So reckless._

“-Doesn’t hesitate to use lethal force-”

_Rule #1 of being a superhero: arrested people can be tried in court, the dead cannot._

“-Actions upsetting the public order-”

_Murder is unforgivable, crossing the line._

He bit back a frown. Wooyoung couldn’t afford to care where San ended up; they chose their own paths, it just so happened that the dumbass chose so that their paths were bound to cross, this time as enemies, not lovers.

Maybe he shouldn’t have come into work today, he mused wistfully, but just as quickly shook away the thought. Wooyoung was a professional.

And he had very professionally ignored San ever since joining the agency. After all, Wooyoung was living the life he’d always wanted. Even if San showed up in the news every so often with such weirdly specific crimes, he didn’t notice. Really. It would have been easier for the two of them if San never showed up on the news at all, but again, he knew better than to hope for that.

“He is highly dangerous so we’ll be sending a large team-”

Wooyoung crossed his arms unconsciously. He didn’t want to know.

“You must never confront him alone. We consider these types of villains the highest profile, vigilantes who have complete confidence in their actions and misguided justice-”

He couldn’t care. He shouldn’t get involved. The other superheroes would handle it, but Wooyoung shouldn’t go. It could even be a conflict of interest. But-

“We’ll have one of our A teams take the lead, but they’ll need some help. Backup, scouting, extra eyes, you know the drill. Any volunteers?”

It was a small but. Very small. Miniscule.

But despite everything Wooyoung told himself, he raised his hand.

“I’ll go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This is the prologue - there will be 8 chapters and an epilogue for a total of 10 in this work. We will be publishing them every other week on Fridays.
> 
> As always, feel free to leave comments or find us on Tumblr <3
> 
> ~Castor & Pollux


	2. At the crossroads, I saw you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back as promised with the second chapter (really chapter one after the prologue)!  
> (Also right in time before Immortal Songs! Exciting!)  
> Enjoy~

_(It was just like any other date, any other day. The sky was blue, there was a cool breeze, and they were alone on a park bench under the shade of a tall tree. San’s sweater was wrapped warmly around Wooyoung’s shoulders, the older boy still dressed in a muscle tee as if summer wasn’t a few months gone._

_Wooyoung was ripping petals off of a flower, amusing himself by alternating, “San’s boxers today are black-” A hmm. “Purple-” Lips pursed. “Black, purple-”_

_But instead of getting smacked in the shoulder, San didn’t even move or say anything. He was so uncharacteristically quiet, Wooyoung paused to turn to the side to check if he fell asleep._

_“Oh? Purple? Scandalous.” He nudged a shoulder but San didn’t stir, shoulders still slightly hunched and head hung with his chin down. His hair was getting longer, casting shadows over his face and shielding his eyes from view. Wooyoung wondered if he fell asleep sitting up, moving to lean down just a bit and twisting to see San’s face._

_But San just whispered under his breath, so low Wooyoung almost didn’t catch it. He could almost pretend like he hadn’t, if only San didn’t finally look up and meet his eyes with his own, dark and murky in the shadow of his bangs. San’s eyes never lied._

_“What do you mean you won’t go with me?” Wooyoung looked at him in disbelief. He reached out and shook his boyfriend’s shoulder lightly. “San-ie?”_

_The other boy only looked back at him, so Wooyoung shook him harder, hands balling up into fists against the muscle tee he’d adored. “San, say something! That’s not something to joke about! Don’t mess with me-”_

_“I can’t do it. I can’t be a hero.”_

_“What do you mean?” Wooyoung half-yelled, not bothering to hide the way his voice shook. Fallen flower petals disappeared among the grass. “What’s gotten into you?”_

_Silence._

_“What happened to wanting to be like the Kims? Weren’t they your idols? Superhero partners saving the world?”_

_“If you didn’t notice,” San growled a little in frustration, and Wooyoung hated himself all the more for shrinking back. “They’re fucking dead!”_

_“Yeah, well, they died like true heroes!” Wooyoung shot back, heat rising. They’d gone over this same argument already three months ago. “True heroes that you and I promised to be like!” But San only shook his head, a mix of emotions that Wooyoung couldn’t name tumbling around in his normally calm golden eyes._

_“I’m sorry, I can’t keep that promise.”_

_From then on, it was over for them.)_

As the selected team followed Eden to their quartermaster’s department, Wooyoung shook off the dull ache of memories that kept popping back up.

He was professional, he reminded himself. Fucking clean as shit and a career rank-climber. It wasn’t about the past. He was on a mission, and he didn’t care, didn’t care at all about these reminders that nothing would change this fact, that San was so stubbornly standing on the side opposite of him.

Wooyoung always had trash taste in men after all. _Ah fuck, I’m going to die alone._ _How tragic_.

Once inside, the five heroes split up to get what they needed. As described in the mission report, San was a formidable target, and so they needed all five of the normal roles: a scout to track him down, a sniper to control his movements, a fighter to take him on, a fast supporting fighter to aid all the others, and a flier or a jumper who could observe from above and give directions. As was common for other bigger missions, Wooyoung was the Class B scout, given his hyena’s nose. 

He was used to the process by now. Instead, he watched the other volunteer curiously, the sniper -Yeosang, he was called. The boy seemed around his age, but his wiry build and statue-like face were betrayed by nervous, flickering owl eyes. He almost dropped the gun he was given, and even when he got his grip, it was weak. _Fresh meat._

Wooyoung grimaced. That was unfortunate. This was a pretty tough mission for a Class C or D. He felt a pang of pity for the boy but brushed it off. This was how every hero survived anyways, proving themselves and moving up the ranks. _Sink or swim._

The core A team that they’d been added to was less interesting. A jaguar fighter type and kangaroo supporter, guided from the skies by a crane. All Class A. The fighters, bickering off to the side, were built like pure muscle, but Wooyoung had gotten used to those. Sparing one last glance before heading to where he was going to get his gear, Wooyoung wondered how the crane made Class A, given most ranks were promoted based on fighting ability and mission success. The crane looked like he’d croak in one strong uppercut, but he supposed flying was just one of those extremely rare and useful abilities. _Some people are just born lucky._

The bitterness hadn’t left the curl of his lips when a familiar scent almost forced him to his knees.

“What the fuck, Q-” He glared at the man in front of him, their quartermaster, who apparently didn’t want to wait for Wooyoung to come over and instead decided to bring his gear to him. As a scout, this meant a rag with San’s scent to track. Wooyoung knew that already, of course, but- “Did you make this like a hundred times stronger, what the fuck.”

“No, is there a problem, agent?” The other man’s eyes narrowed, and if Wooyoung hadn’t known better, he would bet money that their quartermaster was actually a snake type.

Rolling his eyes, Wooyoung grabbed the rest of the stuff, from his updated costume to his special gloves and protective padding, spitting out a “Thanks.”

He only got a jagged smile in response. _Fuck_ , Wooyoung hated the creepy dolphin man.

* * * * *

Only when Wooyoung was out in the city, actively searching for San’s scent, did he realize what sort of mistake he was walking right into. After all, he didn’t even need the rag. Weaving through streets, he followed the faint smell of-

( _Yellowing leaves in the fall, crisp logs of wood, the orange of the sunset over tall grass, and the heat of the sand mixed with earth. The warmth of a savannah that neither of them knew. San smelled like home to Wooyoung and Wooyoung buried his head in his chest, the arms around him strong and steady. It was the first time San saw Wooyoung cry, from missing home in this big city of dreams-)_

“Hey, scout boy,” the annoyingly high-pitched voice of the crane crackled over the static in Wooyoung’s ears, “Find anything yet?”

Wooyoung shook his head forcefully for perhaps the tenth time in the day, snapping back to where he was standing at a dead end in an alley, dangerously close to walking right into the wall and ruining his beautiful face. He was going to end up snapping his own neck at this rate. _Or the goddamn crane’s_.

“I’m still following the trail,” he reported back, taking a deep breath before shifting his weight back and flipping over the wall.

Wooyoung ignored the low muttered “Useless dog” that likely came from the jaguar. He was on the main streets now, weaving smoothly between crowds of civilians milling about. The sun was setting slowly overhead, calm orange tones washing over the square ahead of him. This was a mission, and he knew he was a good scout. _Just one more promotion_.

As he moved, the scent seemed to grow stronger.

_(Cinnamon and the warmth of fire-)_

He turned the corner. 

_(The taste of summer air-)_

_Focus_. The scent washed over him, and his heart skipped a beat. “I’m getting close,” he breathed out. Static crackled back at him.

_(A warm sweater-)_

Blood was pounding in his ears.

This was a mission, and he was definitely going in the right direction -closing in. The scent was getting stronger, so much so that it was almost suffocating.

He wondered if he should have brought one of the wanted posters so San could see them. Maybe San would smile at him.

 _Fucking focus_.

And then he saw him.

Standing right in the middle of a coffee shop across the street was San, golden eyes hidden under dark contacts, wearing the same fitted black muscle tee and loose, baggy pants he’d worn two years ago on the last day Wooyoung saw him.

Wooyoung almost laughed. _How fitting._

“In the coffee shop,” Wooyoung murmured into his earpiece, ignoring the “Get into position” that followed. “I’m going to scout for back exits to block.” He ignored the murmured curses that responded. This was his job. Those Class A fuckers could just wait until he got promoted. Who’d be laughing then?

He slipped inside.

After confirming that there was no back door and only windows in the bathrooms, Wooyoung pulled a cap low over his eyes and slid into a seat in the back corner of the store, watching San over the top of a random magazine he’d pulled out of a rack.

“Don’t wanna sit here all day. You ready yet?”

“Negative.” Wooyoung could hear the exasperated mumbles through the static. He flipped a page as the boy in front of him moved a step forward in line.

It was almost going too smoothly. San hadn’t noticed they were here. Once he gave the go ahead, the jaguar and kangaroo would make a pincer attack and the sniper would finish it.

In the busy shop, filled with people bumbling around and the sweet aroma of coffee, Wooyoung estimated an over 60% chance of their team capturing San. It should have been zero. San’s roar could freeze anyone in a 5 mile radius if he wanted. But with the special earplugs Q gave them, they would be able to withstand it.

If it was any other target, it might actually be worse because there would be civilian casualties, but as far as Wooyoung knew, San still hadn’t used firearms in his fights even if he carried them. If Wooyoung was right and San hadn’t changed, civilians would actually hinder him, because he would actively avoid hurting them.

He sighed, perhaps a little disappointed. It would have been different if he tracked San to some obscure hideaway for one final showdown, but a coffee shop? So boring. It was too normal, too similar to two years ago, the way San tapped a rhythm against his side while waiting.

“Hurry up, dog.”

But Wooyoung knew this was right. They would catch San, and San wouldn’t be harmed because heroes didn’t use lethal force -even the sniper’s rounds were non-lethal. This would be the end to the two paths they chose to walk on.

And he would keep walking, go home a hero, maybe get a promotion, and smile at the praise from his neighbors. But the fast beat pounding in his ears still refused to cease. It was ridiculous. Now that he was this close, it almost seemed anticlimactic.

This would be the end of his two years of annoying hidden tension for a mission he’d imagined thousands upon thousands of scenarios for, even if he wasn’t in most of them.

And yet, here was San, smiling that eye smile at the cashier as he ordered.

 _Didn’t he care about the last two years?_ Was Wooyoung just a whole fucking idiot? He refused to believe that.

Wooyoung had gotten over it, he’d accepted everything. That this was San’s choice and that in this entire lifetime perhaps, Wooyoung would never understand why San changed his mind. Wooyoung had stomached it, ended everything, and moved forward on his chosen path. He didn’t need to know anything except the buried fact that one day they would both meet again as enemies.

_But then why?_

He’d known this ever since that day, knew it in the way his stomach only continued to sink as they argued over the future and broken promises. 

_(“You want to be a vigilante?” Wooyoung managed to spit out, “Who the fuck do you think you are? These are career heroes -you just got your quirk less than a year ago!”_

_“But-”_

_Wooyoung cut him off, “And what if we become enemies, huh? What are you going to do then? Don’t think that I’m going to help a villain out just because of our history.”_

_“Don’t worry,” San spat, “I won’t.”)_

That almost hurt more than the resulting breakup. Almost.

And so, maybe that was why Wooyoung couldn’t give the all-clear for the team to go in just yet. Maybe it was because San looked the same, so much so that Wooyoung could almost forget that two years had passed, maybe it was a complete lapse in judgement. But a tiny voice in Wooyoung couldn’t help but whisper, “If it’s all going to be over now, don’t you want to know why he did it?”

And maybe not much had changed in two years, but for some reason Wooyoung felt a little bit different today.

He turned his mic off.

Heart pounding in his ears, he walked over to the table where San was sitting and pulled out a chair. “Hey, mind if I sit here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's going to happen? Oh the tension ~  
> If you liked this, leave us your thoughts! :)


	3. In this maze of memories, I’m lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back again with some ~action~  
> A bit short but enjoy!

“Go ahead.” If San was surprised to see Wooyoung, he didn’t show it.

So Wooyoung sat down.

They had five minutes max before the jaguar jumped in, likely impatient already, because the signal got cut. He got down to business.

“Tell me why. Why,” he laid out his words very carefully and pointedly, eyes locked with San’s, “did you choose this path for yourself?”

San grinned, “Nice to see you again, too.”

When Wooyoung didn’t smile, the other man just shrugged. “I already told you,” San said, slowly repeating words Wooyoung had heard years ago. As if the answer he gave then would suddenly make sense now. “Heroes can’t do what I want to do.”

_ But heroes could do everything _ . “So  _ this _ -” Wooyoung gestured around him. “This is what you want to do? What you think we’re missing out on? Murdering people?” It came out harsh. Wooyoung was not proud of it but he struggled to bite back his rising emotions. He was always a bit too loud, a bit crass, San knew that. 

_ T-4 minutes.  _

San leaned forward, lips thinning. 

Wooyoung kept going, words just came out flying -as if they could hit the man in front of him and slap some sense into him. The same motions, rehearsed years ago.

“I just don’t get it! What are you trying to  _ do _ ?” 

_ T-3 minutes. _

“Maybe we could turn a blind eye for villains, but a police officer and a politician?” Wooyoung said, voice rising. But there were people around, so he just leaned in closer -so close he was almost out of his seat and their faces a few centimeters apart- and hissed, “How the  _ fuck _ did you expect to get away with that?” He wanted to grab the other by the collar.

_ T-2 minutes. _

“They weren’t just a police officer and politician.” San’s voice was low and forceful. “They were a mole for one of the largest cartels around and a man of great influence money laundering to finance an organ trafficking ring.”

“I didn’t know that second one,” Wooyoung admitted. “But murder? We would have caught them!” He paused, then added, “ _ I _ could have-”

“Wooyoung.” San was straightforward. “The politician would have gotten out of jail.”

Wooyoung bit back a retort. He didn’t have any.

_ T-1 minute. _

He glanced quickly out the window, spying some movement from the corner where the kangaroo was positioned. Then back on San.

Wooyoung wasn’t going to get his answers today. Just like that day two years ago. He wanted to laugh at himself. Instead, he slid out of his chair slowly, fingers still lingering on the table. One last glance.

“You can’t keep doing this forever. It’ll end when you’re caught.” One last warning.

San’s usually warm gaze was cold-

“Today, you mean. You didn’t come all this way just to chat.”

Wooyoung hesitated-

“If you knew that, why didn’t you leave?” His voice was barely above a whisper, syllables a little caught up in his throat. 

“Maybe I wanted to see you again.”

_ What- _

“I’m glad you’re doing well, really.” The smile returned to San’s face, and Wooyoung suddenly felt a strong urge to cry- “I hear about you sometimes on the news. It’s good to know you’re where you always wanted to be.” He paused. “This is probably a big mission. I’m glad you’re on it.”

“You won’t be able to get out of this one.” One last warning. Wooyoung bit his lip, expression hardening.  _ T-10 seconds _ .

“I will.” There was that stubbornness that he hated. “Sorry.”

“There’s four others. Jaguar, kangaroo, and a crane. All three Class A.”

“Thanks for telling me.”

“That’s not-”

Crash, there was the sound of glass breaking and people screaming as a flash of orange -damn jaguar- barrelled past Wooyoung. Jumping over the counter to block the back of the store, Wooyoung smacked at his earpiece, turning the equipment back on, to be met by the shrill screeching of the crane. 

“What the hell are you doing, you fucking dog!” Insults crackled over the static.

“I tried to turn it down earlier-” A loud growl and the tussle moved outside, Wooyoung following closely. There was still yelling everywhere. “But it turned off somehow!” His excuse fell on deaf ears, but for once, he couldn’t fault them. It sounded like complete bullshit to himself, too.

“-Roo, in position!”

Wooyoung watched it unfold out in the street, where civilians were still desperately scrambling away from the scene and a few brave ones lingering with heads peeking around the corner to watch the two -lion and jaguar circling each other dangerously.

Thump. Thump. Wooyoung’s heartbeat almost muffled the static. His eyes snapped back and forth between the two-

San had a bruise blossoming high on his cheekbone, but the jaguar was worse off, an open cut across her arm slowly staining her orange costume red.

Wooyoung refused to blink.

San’s claws were out, glinting in the direct sunlight-

The jaguar’s fangs flashed in response-

The kangaroo thumped one foot down, shaking the ground.

San’s eyes narrowed, flicking between the two - _ sizing them up _ \- quickly taking in the jaguar’s lean muscles and tensed legs to the kangaroo’s bulk, bent lower, ready to leap and propel himself forward.

One breath in, one breath out. Watching San’s chest rise and fall as his entire weight shifted from one leg to another experimentally, Wooyoung wondered if he was going to roar. Even beneath dark contacts, his golden eyes were showing through.

Wooyoung licked his lips -he hadn’t even realized they were dry.

Something flashed across his vision. Wooyoung blinked in time to see the kangaroo jump, barely missing as San tumbled out of the way, landing on his feet. And again. And again, leaving overturned tables and cracked brick tiles in their wake. Wooyoung’s heart skipped a beat each time. 

The jaguar joined in, swiping her claws before San had a chance to regain his balance.

“Pin him down! The sniper has vision.”

A shadow passed above them, and Wooyoung snapped his head up. It was the crane, low in the sky besides the buildings, supporting gun in hand.

Wooyoung felt his heart drop. San’s movements were getting slower. Dodging the kangaroo’s jumps, the jaguar’s claws, and the crane’s rubber bullets had to be taking a toll. The jaguar landed a cut on his arm, and Wooyoung winced at the blood.

_ Just turn yourself in _ , he wanted to say. And San must have read his mind, because the lion locked eyes with him from across the road -beautiful, dangerous, golden eyes that left Wooyoung stunned- and mouthed something that looked like “sorry”.

Those eyes had no hint of accepting defeat. The lion stilled for a second and Wooyoung held his breath.  _ What was he going for? Unless- _ San looked up. To the side, the jaguar lunged forward, and at the last second, her claws found thin air.

“Crane!”

But it was too late. Wooyoung and the others watched mute as San leapt up into the air, higher than any of them thought possible, claws latching onto the crane, and crashed down to the ground. 

“Crane!” The kangaroo yelled again, bounding over to the rubble, but the jaguar blocked him.

“Sniper.” Her voice was emotionless. “Now.”

A shot fired.

It was as if everything slowed, the shaky glint from the sniper in the northeast, the flash of the shot, and then the second of silence before the kangaroo took a tentative step forward.

Wooyoung stared.

From the smoke and rubble, a figure rose, straightening out.  _ Was it the crane? San?  _ Golden eyes met his briefly, then it was gone.

Wooyoung let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

“Fuck!” The kangaroo made as if to chase, but the jaguar caught him back again.

“Give up, we can’t take him ourselves,” she snarled, dark eyes scanning over the scene, the crane crumpled in the street rubble. They flicked up to glare at Wooyoung and in the direction of the poor owl. Her lip curled dangerously. “Useless things.” She ripped off the arm of her sleeve and tossed it to the ground. “Report back. Mission failure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope that was exciting!   
> If you're enjoying this, feel free to leave comments~


	4. Can’t stop running (away from you)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A day early to celebrate the comeback hoho :)
> 
> Stream I'm the One (Fireworks) y'all <3

“Some owl eyes, what a hoot!” Finally back in the headquarters, the crane sneered at the poor kid, whose head hung so low Wooyoung couldn’t even see his eyes. If Wooyoung just ignored how he could kiss his promotion goodbye, it was funny how the crane seemed to blame the other for ruining everything, as if it wasn’t his dumb ass that decided to fly too low and get taken out of the sky.

“What are you even here for,” the shrill voice continued squeaking from the conference room as they waited to start the meeting. _Shut up, oh my god_. “Are you sure you’re Class C and not F? Have you ever even hit a target in your life?”

A stiff bottom lip wobbled, but other than that, there was no reaction. The newbie -Yeosang, Wooyoung reminded himself- would be okay. Otherwise, he wouldn’t last long as a hero.

“Hah-” The jaguar rolled her eyes from where she sat with her legs on the table, “Don’t even bother with such trash.”

She turned a pointed glare onto Wooyoung.

“Can’t even stick to a basic plan, but what else can you expect from a hyena? Probably crawled his way up here by picking off of everyone else’s pieces.”

But Wooyoung wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of being upset, smiling politely in return. He was used to it, and what did it matter- he was still up here, wasn’t he?

The door opened. “Next team, come on in.”

The jaguar strolled in; Yeosang shuffled. Wooyoung noted with a small laugh at the expression on the crane’s face when he almost pulled up a chair next to the man. _They hate us that much, huh?_ Instead, he opted to sit next to Yeosang.

On the opposite side of the table, Eden was still flipping through their file, Q was glaring daggers at the wall, and the bigshot manager K was just sitting there, lips pursed.

“So,” Eden closed the file and looked at the jaguar, “mission failure?”

“Yeah, no thanks to the additionals,” the woman said.

Wooyoung shrugged, “We underestimated him. He can take 3 Class A’s without his roar.”

“If _someone_ had just aimed correctly,” the crane spat, glaring at Yeosang.

The boy looked up for the first time since they entered the room. “I had the line of vision,” he admitted. His voice was stronger than Wooyoung expected. “I was about to shoot, but-” he hesitated briefly, “but I saw his eyes through the scope. It threw me off.”

“Can’t handle looking at someone?” The crane scoffed, “What a baby. That was our winning shot and you blew it.”

“I doubt it. He was taking it easy on us,” Wooyoung said, not bothering to look to his side. He knew the crane was glaring at him now. “Remember, he still had his roar. You’re lucky he didn’t use it on you-”

He clamped his mouth shut. Squacks of indignation were quickly silenced as K tapped her fingers on the table. The woman leaned in, her face stony, “Your name is Wooyoung, am I right? Hyena-type Class B. Are you defending this criminal?”

“No, ma’am.”

Q cut in, “It says here you turned off your mic while in contact with him. Care to explain?”

Someone sniffed condescendingly to the side. Wooyoung ignored them, keeping his back straight and head up. “I had planned on keeping confrontation to a minimum. By keeping the lion in one place talking to me, our sniper would have a clear shot. I didn’t realize that when I adjusted the volume, I must have accidentally turned it off, which is around when those two broke the windows anyways.”

“Don’t worry about it, Wooyoung,” Eden said. “Q will check the equipment better next time. Let’s figure out how we can be successful in the upcoming mission. Should we add more Class A heroes? Snipers or fighters? Would we have a better chance in confrontation or should we chase? What about-”

“Fire them-”

“Give us actual Class A’s-”

“A better fucking sniper-”

The angry voices overlapped in the small room, echoing.

Yeosang’s mouth was clamped shut, stretched in a thin line.

“Give us _actual_ heroes who can _actually_ do their jobs, please,” The crane sneered, contempt practically dripping from his words.

Wooyoung waited.

“Someone give me some _useful_ suggestions,” K said, leaning forward.

Wooyoung would’ve laughed at the crane’s expression if his career wasn’t on the line. “Well,” Wooyoung sighed a little on the inside. Time for the career agent act. “With all due respect, ma’am, I think completely removing us from the mission isn’t the best move.” He paused.

K nodded. “Go on.”

“Even if you replaced me and Yeosang with Class A heroes, they wouldn’t have the experience of facing San that we already have. I think that makes us useful for increasing our chances of success in the next mission. Instead,” he made a point of not looking at the crane, “I think simply adding on more higher class heroes would help our team composition and rest some concerns.”

This earned him a death glare from the jaguar, but Wooyoung didn’t flinch. He waited for K’s decision.

“Very well.” The woman stood up, towering over the table. “Q and Eden will stay to discuss. The additional agents will be announced tomorrow. Dismissed.”

Wooyoung didn’t miss the suspicious side eye from Q as he closed the door behind him. _Creepy dolphin man._

* * * * *

“Is this how they always are?”

Wooyoung shoved his costume to the far back of his locker, tossing the earpiece against the steel for good measure - the clang of metal against metal was satisfying. He didn’t bother to lock it as he turned around to face Yeosang. It wasn’t as if anyone wanted to steal the identity of a Class B hero.

He sighed, “Yeah. You’ve probably only seen them on the telly doing grand victory speeches, huh? I was the same.” _The good old days_.

“But there have to be good heroes too, right? Like Mars?” Wooyoung raised an eyebrow. That was a pretty popular name in their ranks, but also an elusive figure -he’d never even seen the dude in person. And though the frown set on Yeosang’s face was stiff, the rest of his features hardened like any other reasonable hero around, his eyes were still bright. It was hard to look at.

“Maybe,” Wooyoung said, words harsh. The locker was cold and hard against his back as he leaned away from Yeosang’s gaze. “But most people here only care about one thing.” No response from Yeosang. A jaded smirk twisted Wooyoung’s lips up into a slight curl, “Moving up the ranks. Promotions. Getting paid. Have you seen the lifestyle you can afford as a Class A hero? All the fame and power. At that point, even if you don’t already have some sort of superiority complex or hero complex, you tend to develop it.”

“But to treat other superheroes like that-” _Silly kid_. Big owl eyes full of protest stared into him, as if Wooyoung didn’t also wish the world were the way he’d dreamed it was when he was growing up. It was probably what he’d looked like once.

A sigh escaped Wooyoung’s lips, echoing just a bit louder in the lonely locker room as he shifted his weight off the bench. “Survival of the fittest. Take it or leave it, everyone else knows this.” _It’s as much as you can get._

Yeosang only glared back up at him from where he still sat, arms crossed and his eyes burning bright, “How can you say that? Is this what being a hero means to you?”

“Hey, I went into this to save people.” Wooyoung brushed off the pang of something sharp in his chest. What could they do about it? He was trying his best. This was just how the world was. 

Wooyoung turned, still feeling Yeosang’s glare hot and angry on his back. As he fumbled the doorknob, its metal cold to the touch, Wooyoung had to grip it hard; it seemed to slip under his clammy grasp. From behind him, there was no empty laugh or sadness, only a blunt statement.

“And now you’re just like the rest of them.”

* * * * *

Spring was here. On the walk back home from headquarters, tiny flowers peeked out of the sidewalk under the soft sunlight coming down from baby blue skies with only wisps of clouds. A group of kids ran past Wooyoung -seemed like classes had ended a bit early at the nearby high school. He wondered if he should go get a coffee, pulling his jean jacket tighter around himself. It was still a little cold in the sun.

“Hey there, thanks for the hard work!” Someone called out to him from across the street and Wooyoung instinctively sent a smile and a polite nod in the vague direction of citizens walking around. He’d been walking this route home from work for the past two years now, and most the stores and occupants around knew him. It was a nice feeling, usually.

In another few blocks, to his right would be the coffee shop he dropped by on rainy days, or on days he had to finish up reports at home. Only caffeine could make him finish the boring paperwork that no one was really going to read anyways.

After that, another block and a turn, and there would be a nice family restaurant and across the street, a flower shop.

But the normal chatter of passersby blurred into some vague white noise in the background.

Wooyoung stumbled, cursing under his breath, over an uneven tile on the sidewalk. The words from earlier echoed in his head. It wasn’t anything new to him, and there was no reason today should be any different.

_“And now you’re just like the rest of them.”_

_“It’s good to know you’re where you always wanted to be.”_

“Thank you for keeping our community safe!” A woman called out as he passed the coffee shop, one of the regular cashiers there. Wooyoung waved it off with a smile and wink, picking up the pace. “Right back at you and your coffee!”

Swerving around outdoor tables and signs, Wooyoung passed the flower shop. A shoulder grazed him, and he turned quickly to apologize -but the other man was also apologizing because “Oh my! The hero! Sorry I wasn’t looking-” And from nearby bubbled light laughter and a woman’s voice.

“Look, baby, it’s Wooyoung! He’s a superhero!” A toddler -maybe three or four- waddled over a few steps, tiny round hands stretched out toward Wooyoung’s leg and giggling. “I’m so sorry, he’s usually better behaved, aren’t you darling? Guess he really likes you.” She picked him up swiftly, cradling the child in her arms while smiling down at him. “You know, I’m hoping he becomes a superhero, too.”

 _Ah_. “Haha.” It was sweet and Wooyoung cooed over the baby’s still outstretched fingers. “Gotta let him be a kid first~”

The mother laughed, and he bid goodbye to the small child still giggling.

A superhero. Like him?

 _“It’s good to know you’re where you always wanted to be.”_ Wooyoung agreed, this was where he dreamed of being -he was finally a hero, living a hero’s life, doing a hero’s job, and making it up the ranks. It just hurt to hear that San agreed so easily for some reason.

From the restaurant he passed, more voices called out to him. “Hey superhero! Wanna come in for dinner? It’s on us!”

_“And now you’re just like the rest of them.”_

“No, thanks, not today,” Wooyoung shot him a weak smile.

“You sure? We’re having the daily special!”

“Sorry, busy superhero matters to attend to, you know.”

More and more strained, Wooyoung walked faster, leaving the disappointed faces of his neighbors behind. He could apologize to them tomorrow, when he was more like himself. It was definitely the mission’s fault -just a bad day as any other mission failure would be. Not like Wooyoung had many of those though.

He shoved his hands deep into his pockets, bracing against the cool breeze that stung his eyes.

_“And now you’re just like the rest of them.”_

_“It’s good to know you’re where you always wanted to be.”_

Why did both of him look at him like that? If he was going to be fucking honest, something in their eyes seemed to say that Wooyoung was wrong, which was ridiculous.

Like Wooyoung hadn’t known the industry wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but he was two years in. Yes, it was a bit of a shock the first time, and no, he definitely did not give another hero a black eye for trying to bend the rules to make a profit. He made the best of it, and it was still his dream -all the smiles and tearful thanks from civilians he’d saved were what he treasured.

His apartment was just at the corner. A gust of wind slapping his face, he realized he was running. Man, he just wanted to get home already. This was enough thinking for the rest of the year.

“Hey, Wooyoung! How was your-”

He skidded to a stop in front of his door. “Hey, Yunho-” he gave his next door neighbor a hasty wave while fumbling with his keys. “Sorry, I’m in a bit of a rush. Let’s catch up tomorrow, okay? See you!”

“Oh? Okay-” The man furrowed his brows, hand still frozen in the air as the door slammed shut. “Bad day, huh.”

“You could say that again.” Wooyoung sighed, finally slowing down to catch his breath as he slipped to the ground, back against the door.

This was his safe space. A one-bedroom apartment in the city, perfect for a single working professional in the city and his best friend. As his eyes adjusted to the dark in the apartment, the familiar sound of nails pattering against the floor came closer. “Woof, woof!”

“Hey you.” Wooyoung laughed as the Shiba bounded into his lap, licking everywhere it could reach. “Awww, who's my baby, huh, Puchi-ah? That’s right, you are!” Picking the dog up in his arms, he walked over to her food bowl. “Looks like Yunho’s been taking good care of you while I’ve been gone. Have you been a good girl for him, hm? Huh, Puchi-ah?”

“Woof!”

“That better be a yes.” Wooyoung grinned at Puchi, her tail wagging. “Alright, let’s get you your dinner, yeah? Then I’ll have to pull something together for myself.” Opening the dog food container, he muttered under his breath, “Shit, I went grocery shopping, right? Yunho will have my ass if I come over for an egg again.”

He did forget. Sighing, Wooyoung poured out the food for Puchi. Guess it was back to the instant ramen days from high school again. He had resigned himself to his fate when a sound came from the door. Puchi stopped eating, her ears alert.

A knock? Wooyoung tilted his head to the side.

Knock knock.

“Woof! Woof woof!”

Well, there was definitely someone at the door. He was expecting Yunho to drop by sometime and check in on him. The detective didn’t miss much. But not this soon.

“Puchi, stay.”

In two quick strides, he was looking out of the peephole. _Weird…_ no one was there. Could it have been a prank?

The key clinked in the lock and Wooyoung stuck his head outside, looking left and right, before he almost tripped over something in front of his door. It was a cheap plastic bag with a takeout box inside. Squatting down, he took the box out of the bag, almost instinctively pulling the warmth it radiated closer. There was a yellow sticky note on top that read “Got to keep full to stay strong! Thank you for keeping us safe!” It was signed, “From your friends in the city, Super Heat.”

“Sheesh.”

Wooyoung squatted down. His hair fell over his eyes. He could hear Puchi whining behind him. She was almost definitely tilting her head to the side.

The aroma of noodles wafted out over him, and Wooyoung swallowed hard. _Meat_. There was definitely meat -he could smell it- with oil slightly staining the container edges. And he didn’t have any good food at home... 

Sighing, he traced the words on the sticky note, fingers faltering. _Thank you…_

“Woof!”

“Stay, Puchi! Good girl.”

Wooyoung gave the note one last look before taking the bag. Hopefully, Super Heat wouldn’t mind too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyways, there's actually 5 ATEEZ members mentioned in this chapter including Wooyoung - did you catch them all? ;)
> 
> (Hint: not Puchi but I love her just the same hahahaha)


	5. Down memory lane, there’s a shadow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Surprise early posting~ We decided we'll be speeding up the posting for this fic in honor of the comeback, Fireworks first win!, and all the other ongoing promotions! Since Ateez is so active we might as well be too ^^
> 
> We'll be posting the next chapter next week instead of a biweekly schedule~ Enjoy~

Wooyoung shifted in his sleep.

_“Hey, newbie! What’s your name?”_

_“Jung Wooyoung.”_

_There was a chorus of exclamations._

_“Ah, you’re Mr. Jung’s son, right?”_

_“Makes sense, he even looks like that cheetah.”_

_“I worked a few missions with him back in the day. Good man.”_

_“I’m glad you’re following in your dad’s footsteps. We need a new generation of superheroes like you.”_

_“If you need anything, we’re here to help. Go on then. Make the old man proud.”_

_Wooyoung smiled wide, “I will!”_

_He walked in through the door to the training grounds, a warm, bright light washing over the scene. Somewhere he couldn’t see, he could hear the friendly sounds of laughing and people talking._

“I will,” Wooyoung murmured, pulling the blankets closer.

* * * * *

By the time Wooyoung groggily shuffled to the living room, dog food container in hand, he had a throbbing headache. _Leave it to my brain to bring back that dream_.

It was what he had always imagined becoming a superhero would be like as a child. Just some good people saving the world together.

“Woof, woof!”

“Here you go, Puchi. Eat slowly, okay?”

He frowned slightly. He didn’t believe in the “good people” part of that anymore, but he had held onto the “saving the world” part. Now that he was on a mission to stop San though…

Wooyoung picked up his phone, dialing in numbers from muscle memory.

“Dad?”

“Wooyoung!” A smile came naturally to his face. Wooyoung could hear his dad calling for his mom in the background. “It’s been a while, how are you doing? Your mom is upstairs, I think, but she’ll be right here-”

“Young-ah!” A familiar voice rang out, clear as bells. “How are you doing? How’s the city? Are you living well? How’s Puchi, is she with you?”

“I’m doing okay, mom, don’t worry. Puchi is right here, aren’t you, girl?” Wooyoung giggled at Puchi’s bark in response. “Anyways, the city is alright. The same as usual, people walk fast and things are expensive, nothing new. I do need to talk to Dad about some superhero stuff though.”

“Alright, you two. Here you go, but don’t take too long, okay honey? I want to talk to our son too, you know!”

After some fussing, Wooyoung’s dad came back to the line. “So how’s work going? What did you want to talk to me about?”

“Well, it’s just-” _Does this count as breaching confidentiality?_ Wooyoung scoffed at the idea. His father was a superhero too. “It’s just San.”

“Ah, I see.” 

“Have you seen the news about him?”

A pause. “I have.”

Wooyoung gripped the phone tighter. “He’s wanted now. I’m on the mission.”

“Wooyoung-” He could hear his dad suck in a breath. “That’s a conflict of interest-”

“I know, dad, I know, but-” Wooyoung sighed, stopping himself. “I-I don’t know anymore. I’m not sure what to do.”

“Well, do you know why he’s wanted now? I don’t remember anything that would have moved him from the known vigilante list to the criminal one.”

“Now that you mention it, not really?” Wooyoung hadn’t really been paying attention during the briefing, but he wasn’t going to tell his dad that. _Oops._

“Hmm.” There was silence on the other end for a while, then his father sighed, “Maybe times have changed. It’s something worth looking into either way, so you can have the full picture before any decisions get made.”

“Alright.”

“And Wooyoung?”

“Yeah, dad?”

“San’s a good kid. You know that, right?”

_“They were a mole for one of the largest cartels around and a man of great influence money laundering to finance an organ trafficking ring.”_

_“Maybe I wanted to see you again.”_

_“I’m glad you’re doing well, really.”_

_“I hear about you sometimes on the news.”_

_“Sorry.”_

Wooyoung bit his lip. “Yeah, dad. I know.”

* * * * *

“Hmm, not this one,” he tossed a rolled up stack of papers behind his shoulder, digging through the worn-out box long hidden away below his bed for something he wasn’t even sure existed. Half its contents were already thrown out around him, a sweater tossed on his bed and miscellaneous papers scattered all around the floor he was sitting on. “No, no. This?” 

“No-” A sniff. “No, Puchi’ah, you can’t eat that.” 

A whine. Wooyoung laughed, waving her away. “Silly girl. This isn’t for you, okay? Go, shoo!”

As the wagging tail retreated, he continued. 

A newspaper clipping from a few months ago? Kind of what he wanted, but Wooyoung already knew this one -it made front page news when San took down Mr. Z, a notorious figurehead in the black market. ‘The vigilante of our decade?’ The headline read, following up with the results of a poll on public opinion of vigilantes like San and another called Nero -it’d been surprisingly high, not higher than heroes of course, but still.

This should’ve been the last big thing he’d seen about San, but clearly something must have happened. And maybe -just maybe- there was a hint somewhere in these random things that Wooyoung had collected over the years. It was smart to keep info on your potential enemies after all.

A clipping about the politician’s death? But technically the agency turned a blind eye as long as the target was breaking the law and no civilians died. _Maybe because he was so influential?_

He put it back in a corner. “Maybe.”

Next, pictures of high school? They for sure weren’t what Wooyoung was looking for, but he paused, bringing one up to take a closer look.

 _How nostalgic._ Back when San wasn’t - _wasn’t what?_

Two smiling faces peered back at him, an off-centered photo taken in his old bedroom where they’d spent a good half of a summer just playing games, bickering, and cuddling.

( _“Come on,” San whined, swatting Wooyoung’s grabby hands away from his clunky camera as the other just giggled even louder behind him. “Stooopp~”_

_But San still let himself get pulled back -Wooyoung easily pressed himself against San’s back and wrapped one arm tight around his middle, the other sneaking up to snatch the camera for himself._

_“It’s too hot~” San protested, but when Wooyoung held the camera up some distance away from their faces for a picture, he still tilted his head back, pressing their cheeks together._

_Wooyoung giggled. “I love you too.”)_

_Shit._ Wooyoung pushed the photo away.

_What was he looking for again?_

Shaking his head, he picked the box back up, giving it a slight shake as if that would reveal some hidden answer.

Instead, something shiny tumbled out, caught by reflex.

An earring-

( _Golden ones._

_“Woah,” Wooyoung let out a low whistle at the sight of the earrings in the case in front of him. He’d been eyeing the silver pieces as soon as they’d stepped into the store, knowing how they matched his style and absolutely refusing to leave without a new pair to celebrate -what was it again? Passing a test? Their first anniversary? Who knew._

_But this golden piece was so beautiful, he’d paused._

_‘Caught by you’ read the item description in script lettering, sitting right below the two pieces. Instead of being the same on both sides like normal, the one on the left was a stud with a small central orb and a second piece in the shape of claws wrapping around the earlobe from behind. On the right, the matching piece was a small hoop with a single golden fang dangling at the bottom._

_“Hello sir! Are you interested in this one?” A sales assistant asked. Wooyoung supposed he’d been staring too intently._

_“Of course!,” he grinned back, leaning over the counter. “I love your hoops by the way, super sick.”_

_“Oh, why thank you-”_

_“This pair is just as pretty as you,” he winked. “But-” Dropping his gaze a little, he made a show out of checking the price. “Couldn’t you give me a tiny discount? Please?”_

_“Oh! Um-”_

_“No need.”_

_San appeared by his side, far from where he’d been going through a vertical collection, golden eyes daring Wooyoung to keep talking. “I’ll pay for it.”_

_An arm snaked its way around Wooyoung’s waist, pulling him into San’s chest roughly -but Wooyoung simply giggled._

_“Of course babe.”)_

Wooyoung stared down at the earring in his palm now, turning it over gently. It was the left piece shaped into claws, still as golden as before but a bit dusty from being buried under papers and other snippets. Its luster stabbed a pang right into his chest.

 _Fuck. Who knows where the other piece is anyways_. 

San probably threw his away back when they split.

“Shit.”

Wooyoung tossed it back in the box.

But on second thought, he peered back over the edge at the small piece still shining from the corner. It was such a waste of good jewelry to let it rust away. Maybe he could take it to a jeweler and get it altered. 

“Maybe Yunho will know a guy,” Wooyoung mused, placing the earring on his nightstand.

Not like he was going to find anything useful in this box even if he went through it all day. Still, the search continued. 

Next were some more clippings from even further back that he immediately tossed off to the side - _already memorized those_. And then, another picture surfaced, this one a headshot of San from school -his student ID photo.

 _Why did he have this again? Oh right._ That year, San had to do a retake since the photographer made some mistake -something about it being the wrong angle, though Wooyoung had wanted to argue that it was very nice actually, showing off San’s right profile and his sharp jawline. Oh, and something else about dust on the camera -though a few artificial moles were kind of cute.

Wooyoung stared down at the card.

It still didn’t explain how he ended up with this photo though-

But the phone rang, scattering his thoughts.

“Who would call on a Saturday?” Wooyoung mused out loud. Before getting up, he gently placed the contents and lid back on the box, and tucked it away so Puchi couldn’t dig it out later.

Ringg.

“Coming!” Wooyoung didn’t bother closing the bedroom door behind him. “Geez. Someone’s impatient.”

Ringg!

He picked up the phone with a sigh, “Hello?” His long fingernails tapped against the plastic. “Hellooo? Who is this?”

“Is this Jung Wooyoung?”

“Yes?”

“This is Eden, from the agency. Your mission has been changed to emergency status and you have been ordered to come in.”

“Wait, what-” Wooyoung gripped the phone in his hand tighter, not liking the way that the usually casual man was suddenly speaking all serious. “Hold on, what do you mean ‘emergency status.’ What the fuck?”

It didn’t make any sense. Emergency status was reserved for things like supervillains and ongoing threats to the public, not for vigilantes-

“The lion-”

_San-_

“-just murdered three civilians. Sorry to disturb your weekend, but the case is in the news, and we have reason to believe there may be more killings. Get your gear and get ready to leave.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit short of a chapter, buttttttttt the action finally starts!!!
> 
> As always, let us know what y'all think :D


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